Dylan Mulvaney is once again the target of an anti-trans hate campaign. This time for being cast as Anne Boleyn in SIX: The Musical on Broadway.
It’s a shame that Mulvaney’s Broadway debut is mired with transphobic vitriol—but it’s worth noting that Broadway is enthusiastically betting on her success. Her casting is part of a recent and welcome trend of the Great White Way providing a sizable springboard for trans stars.
We’ve seen several examples of excellent trans performers driving audiences to Broadway. There’s Alex Newell, Jinkx Monsoon, J. Harrison Ghee and Cole Escola, the majority of whom have won Tonys for their performances. And it was just announced that Leiomy Maldonado is set to play Macavity in the upcoming Broadway production of Cats: The Jellicle Ball.
It’s been great to see Broadway platform and stand behind trans talent in recent years, especially during a time when opportunities seem to be drying up in other industries. It’s indicative of a demand for mega-talented performers—and there is clearly an outsize amount of superstar trans folks to utilize.
Broadway as an institution is far from perfect, of course. Historically, trans performers have rarely been granted the opportunity to truly shine onstage. But as of late, Broadway has proven time and time again that people will pay good money to see talent on stage regardless of gender.
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